Gas-valve lock



PATENTED FEB. 23, 1904.

' R. L. BOULTER. GAS VALVE LOOK. APPLICATION FILED 0UT.G, 1903.

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wAsum THE uoams P511315 120.; PHDT PATENTED FEB. 23, 1904 R. LLBOULTERQGAS VALVE LOOK.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. s, 1903.

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UNITED STATES Patented February 23, 1904.

if PATENT OFFICE.

GAS-VALVE LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. '7 52,818, datedFebruary 23, 1904.

Application filed October 6,1908.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ROYAL L. BoULTnR, a citizen of the United States,residing at East Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State ofWashington; have invented certain new and useful Improvements inGas-Valve Locks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact descriptionofthe invention,

Frequent accidents have occurred in the use of gas, due to the facteither that the gas-valve inadvertently had not been completely turned01f or having been turned off was thereafter accidentally turned on.Furthermore, with a gas-valve which works quite easy considerable caremust be exercised to prevent reopening of the valve by the varyingmanipulation of the hand which first closes the same.

My invention provides a simple lock which is adapted for application toordinary or standard valves or stop-cocks, such as are used inconnection with gas-brackets and similar gasfixtures.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereinlikecharacters indicate like parts throughout the severalviews.

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation showing a portion of an ordinarygas-bracket to the valve of which is applied one of my improved locks.Fig. 2 is a section taken approximately on the line 00 m of Fig. 1, someparts being shown in full. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line a?m of'Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is a detail in plan of the so-called bearing-plateof the lock. Fig. 5 is a view corresponding very closely to Fig. 2, butwith some parts sectioned which are shown in full in said Fig. 2; andFig. 6 is a horizontal section on the line a w of Fig. 5.

The numeral 1 indicates an ordinary wall gas-bracket, having thevalve-casing 2, in whichworks an ordinary valve or stop-cock 3.

5 As in the standard construction, the valvesmi No. 175,922. (NoniodeL).

stood that the distance between the shoulders 4 is such that when thestud 5 engages with either of said shoulders 1 the valve will be closedand that the valve is set in a full-opened position by turning it sothat its stud 5 stands midway between the two shoulders 4. This much isstandard well-known construction.

My improved lock in its preferred form is constructed as follows; Aclamping-yoke 6,

having screw-threaded ends, works through the sleeve-like end of aclamping-plate 7, which plate at its intermediate portion has a serratednotch or seat 8. On the threaded ends of the yoke 6, outward of theclamping-plate 7, are clamping nuts 9, arranged in pairs, and clampedbetween them is a bearing-plate 10, having vertically-elongated slots11, through which the ends of the yoke 6 are passed. A sliding lock boltor plunger 12 Works through seats 13 and 14:, the former in the body ofthe bearing-plate 10 and the latter in a laterally and upwardly bentportion 15 thereof. The lower end of this lock-bolt is shown as bentlaterally and attached to the lower end of a coiled spring 16, the upperend of which spring is attached to the bearing-plate 10. The said springyieldingly draws the plunger 12 inward and upward into an operativeposition.

The spring-pressed plunger 12 is adapted to be moved into an inoperativeposition against the tension of the spring 16 by a finger-operated'lever17, which, as shown, is formed from a single piece of wire bentlaterally at 18 and then again parallel to its body portion at 19. Theportion 18 is passed through one or the other of several perforations20, formed in the lock-bolt 12. The body and the end portion 19 of thelever 17 bear upon the laterallybent fulcrum webs or lugs 21 of thebearingplate 10;

When the device is applied in working position, as shown in thedrawings, the stem portion of the valve, close to its head, is rigidlyclamped between the yoke 6 and the serrated notch 8 of theclamping-plate 7 so that the entire lot moves with the valves. Theelongated slots 11 of the bearing-plate 10 permit the operating part ofthe lock to be adjusted vertically, and the several perforations 20 ofthe lock-bolt 12 permit said bolt to be adjusted endwise, so that theend of the lock-bolt may be set for proper action on or cooperation withthe stop-shoulders L of the valve-casing 2. When the lock is thusproperly set, the end of the lock-bolt stands at a point diametricallyopposite to the valve-lug 5, so that when said lug is engaged witheither of the stop-shoulders 4 the lock-bolt is engaged with the otherstop-shoulder, and thus hold the valve locked in the one or the other ofits closed positions.

To turn the valve from its locked position,

it is only necessary to retract the lock member far enough to make itclear the engaged stop-shoulder 4, and it will when the valve is in anintermediate or open position bear upon that depending portion of thevalve-casing which lies between the two stop-shoulders 4. Of course whenthe valve reaches an extreme or closed position the lock-plunger isautomatically forced into a locking position, and thus locks the valve.

It is further evident from the foregoing description and statements madethata valve equipped with one of these locks when once set in a closedposition cannot be accidentally moved again into an openposition. Thedevice, it will be understood, is capable of modification within thescope of my invention as herein set forth and claimed. Furthermore, itis not limited to the particular application illustrated, but is adaptedto be applied to valves of other form.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is as follows:

1. The combination with avalve-casing having the stop-shoulders 4:, of avalve 3 seated in said casing and having the stop-lug 5 cooperating withsaid shoulders 4 to limit the movements of said valve, and a lockapplied to said valve and having a lock-bolt working ata pointdiametrically opposite to said stoplug 5 and cooperating with the saidshoulders 4 and said lug 5 to lock said valve in either of two extremepositions, substantially as described. v

2. The combination with a valve and a valve-casing, of a lock detachablysecurable to said valve and comprising the separable support, aspring-pressed lock member, and a finger-actuated plunger-releasinglever, substantially as described.

3. A lock for a valve comprisingthe yoke 6, the notched clampingplate 7having the sleeve through which the prongs of said yoke are passed, nutson the threaded ends of said yoke, a bearing-plate adjustably held bysaid nuts, a spring-pressed lock-plunger mounted in the'saidbearing-plate, and a finger-actuated releasing lever pivoted to saidlockplunger and fulcrumed on said bearing-plate, substantially asdescribed.

v In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

ROYAL L. BOULTER.

Witnesses:

J. M. DAVIS, WM. THIELEY.

